My name is Khamari, and my issue is prejudice, which I have encountered all of my life...

I am 17, and I attend high school in New York City. I enjoy fencing, dancing and helping others through school related community service projects. I hope to major in Child Development in college.

Q: “I always wondered why black people can dance better than whites.”
A: “It’s because of their jungle instinct.”

This may seem like a harmless joke but it actually is a racist comment that can be hurtful to others

Racism is a form of prejudice but it isn’t the only kind. There are also homophobia, sexism, self hate and many other kinds of prejudice that are common to us.

Bias Related Crimes - Percent Distribution,1 2004

Sometimes it is difficult to know if you have feelings of hate towards others. One way to know if you have hatred dwelling inside of you is to look at the people around you and see if they are offended by the comments and remarks that you make. If they are offended, then you probably need to change your hateful ways. Don’t worry though, these feelings can be over come, and all that needs to be done is a little self exploration.

Take a look at your actions and try to figure out why you feel animosity towards certain kinds of people. Then take a look at those people and see if the hate driven stereotypes that you have inside of you are true. Once you realize that they’re not true, the next step is to abolish the feelings that you have inside of you.

Here are some questions and answers that might help you on your journey towards a hate free life.

Racism

What is the definition of racism?
The dictionary definition of racism is a “belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race” . My definition of racism is when one feels that they are superior to others based on race.

What’s the difference between prejudice and racism?
Racism is a subcategory of prejudice. Prejudice is just a feeling that one has towards others and this feeling isn’t necessarily based on race.

How do I know if I’m racist?
One way to know if you’re racist is to take a look at yourself and see if you constantly demean others based on their race.

I don’t degrade/demean others to their face, am I racist?
Just because you don’t degrade others to their face, doesn’t mean that you’re not racist. All it means is that you keep your racist feelings bottled up.

Sexism

What is sexism?
Sexism is when one feels hatred towards the opposite sex. Sexism, like any other form of prejudice can be based on stereotypes and other misconceptions. Although most people refer to sexism as men hating women, sexism is a word that pertains to both genders.

How do I know if I’m sexist?
If you feel like the opposite sex is inferior to you, then you are most likely sexist.

I don’t believe that women should be stay at home moms that slave in the kitchen all day but I do believe that women shouldn’t have “manly” jobs such as construction. Does this mean that I’m sexist?
Yes, it does. There are many forms of sexism in this world and many people view sexism in different ways. The only way that anyone cannot be sexist is if they believe that women and men are equal.

Homophobia

What is homophobia?
Homophobia is the fear of anyone who is homosexual. This fear can lead to hatred which is what most people define homophobia as; the hatred of gays and lesbians.

How do I know if I’m homophobic?
People who are homophobic are usually disgusted when they see people who are gay or lesbian. People who are homophobic tend to do a lot of gay bashing, which is anything from making fun of gays/lesbians to physically hurting them.

What causes homophobia?
Homophobia can be caused by many different things such as religion, fear, lies, ect. Although homophobia can be caused by many different things, it can be eliminated by one thing: tolerance.

SELF HATE

What is self hate?
The definition of self hate is explanatory, self hate is the hatred of oneself.

What causes self hate?
Self hate can be caused by suppressed feelings of dissatisfaction that are turned inward. If something goes wrong in your life and you feel like its all your fault, the situation can easily be turned into self hatred.

How do I know if I hate myself?
One way to know if you have feelings of self hate it by taking a look at yourself and seeing if you approve of anything that you do. If you feel as if you can never do anything right, and that everything you do is a problem, chances are you cary feelings of self hate.

How do I get rid of my self hatred?
The way to get rid of self hate is by loving yourself. The way to do this is by thinking that you can do something correctly and by realizing that everyone makes a mistake every now and then.

RESOURCES

I hope these questions and answers are helpful to you, but they are just a start. Here are some other places you can go for more help.

Racism
NAACP
Mailing Address: 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
Website:www.naacp.org

Gays/Lesbians
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Mailing Address: 208 west 13th street
Phone Number: (212) 620-7310
Website:www.gaycenter.com

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